Rangers end 9-game skid

ARLINGTON, Texas — Kyle Gibson returned from the injured list to pitch 5 1/3 scoreless innings, and the Texas Rangers ended a nine-game losing streak when they held on for a 5-4 win over the defending American League champion Tampa Bay Rays in their return to the site of last season’s World Series.

Joey Gallo hit in his 10th homer and Charlie Culberson drove in a run with a squeeze bunt for the Rangers, who were back home after the nine losses in a row for the longest winless road trip in team history. They hadn’t won since wrapping up a three-game sweep over Houston on May 23 in their last home series.

Brandon Lowe homered late for the Rays (36-23), who have the most wins in the majors this season and lost for only the fourth time in 21 games. Their only previous visit to Globe Life Field had been last October in the neutral site World Series they lost in six games to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Gibson (4-0) struck out five without a walk in his first start since May 21 before going on the IL with a right groin strain. The righthander threw 73 pitches and lowered his ERA to 2.06, third-best in the AL, before coming out of his 11th start after consecutive one-out singles in the sixth.

The Rays managed only five singles off Gibson, and the hits in the sixth were the only time they had multiple runners on against him — reliever John King came on and got a strikeout and a flyout. Gibson picked off Joey Wendle at first base after a hit in the fourth.

Ian Kennedy, the third Texas reliever, worked the ninth for his 12th save in 13 chances despite giving up a two-run single to No. 9 hitter Brett Phillips after the Rays